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August 01, 2009

August 2009

I recently performed a Skype book reading and conference with kids from the Fort Plain Jr./Sr. High School in upstate New York, which came about when students at the school chose to read one of my YA novels, Resurrection Men, in their annual Battle of the Books competition.

Using the high school media lab, they opened a free account with Skype and video-called me at my home in New Jersey. I’m equipped with a videocam and Skype account myself, so I was able to see the kids in the classroom, and they were able to see me. In fact, they projected the Skypecast up on a big screen so everyone could get a good view. It took hardly any time to set up... and it was free!

The kids had a great time asking me all sorts of questions about Resurrection Men, and writing in general. I received a kind note thereafter, from the progressive Fort Plain librarian, Mary Van Patten, the first educator in her district to exploit the Web in this way:

“The students were so thrilled with this experience. Fort Plain is a small town, next to Canajoharie, NY; it’s exit 29 off the NY Thruway. There are a lot of dairy farms in the area. Because of the Erie Canal, it was once a prosperous town. The students I work with are great.... Thanks so much for making this happen.”

I'm encouraging all elementary, junior and high school librarians out there who are carrying my T.K. Welsh titles (like THE UNRESOLVED and RESURRECTION MEN) to contact me at tkwelsh@gmail.com to set up a similar Skype online video Book Reading & Conference.

Have your students read one of my YA historical novels and then bring me directly into your media or music lab to talk about the book. Using Skype and a webcam, a PC video call is easy and free, and it makes a real difference to the students when they can pose their questions directly to the author.

In fact, participants of any Book Club or Book Circle with ten members or more who purchase one of my books--like THE UNRESOLVED or RESURRECTION MEN--can contact me at tkwelsh@gmail.comto set up a similar FREE Skype Book Reading & Conference.

Invite me into your living room, and I'll invite you into mine. Rather than simply discussing a book amongst yourselves, as usual, imagine having the author right there to answer your questions directly.

IN OTHER NEWS

RESURRECTION MENRESURRECTION MEN was recently featured in Curriculum Connections ("Murder and Mayhem Under Grey skies" by Joyce Adams Burner), a joint venture publication between School Library Journal and TeachingBooks.net that reaches more than 60,000 educators and librarians around the country every month. Click hereto hear the author speak about the name T.K. Welsh through the TeachingBooks.net "Name Pronounciation Guide".

Check out the latest in-depth author interview at Wordswimmer. See what inspires T.K. Welsh to write, and learn about the author's writing process.

Publishers Weekly called RESURRECTION MEN, “A haunting tour of London's underclass during the 1830s...Teens will likely be both captivated by Victor's harrowing story as well as his ability to prevail in the face of harsh injustices." BIG A, little a called the novel, “A moody, evocative tale...T.K. Welsh is fast becoming one of my favorite writers. His work transcends genre and audience classification.” VOYA said, "Teen readers will thoroughly enjoy the hair-raising suspense in this historical thriller." Kirkus Reviews called RESURRECTION MEN perfect for, “audiences that relish historical fiction." TeensReadToo termed it, “an intense, dark work of historical fiction...I highly recommend this book.” KLIATT said, "Like M.T. Anderson's The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, this look at sinister events in history makes the era come alive and lingers in the memory." Jen Robinson's Book Page called the novel, “Gripping and fast-paced, filled with intriguing historical details...The ending is utterly satisfying and consistent. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction." The Miss Rumphius Effect said, “T.K. Welsh, where have you been? I loved this book...Pick it up and you'll find it hard to put down.” And School Library Journal said, “Part historical fiction and part adventure story, the novel brings excitement to Victorian England...Readers will be on the edge of their seats.”

Inspired by the 1831 "Italian Boy trial" of body snatchers in London, England, RESURRECTION MEN is a spine-tingling murder mystery that pits a beggar boy named Victor against a nefarious group of Resurrection Men. In this tumultuous dark underworld, where a fresh subject can fetch as much as nine guineas -- the yearly salary of a working man -- Victor must risk his life to uncover the identity of the murderer who is at the heart of London's furtive trade in human corpses.

If you already own a copy, click here to access a secret section of the site...just for you. [NOTE: Make sure to enter the name Secret (S-e-c-r-e-t) and the correct Password, printed at the rear of the book.]

Ranked one of the Top Ten Children's Books of 2006 by the Washington Post,THE UNRESOLVED was nominated for a Young Adult Library Services Association -- YALSA2007 Teens' Top Ten,the only book award recommended and awarded solely by teens. The novel was previously named a 2007 Association of Jewish Libraries Notable Book for Teens by the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, which recognized only six works in Jewish teen literature that year. THE UNRESOLVED was also nominated for the 2006Cybils literary awards, and for the 2007 Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA) by the American Library Association. It's currently featured as one of the Best Teen Books of the Year 2006 at BarnesAndNoble.com.

The Washington Post said, "Welsh writes with a precision and delicacy unusual for YA fiction." School Library Journal said, "THE UNRESOLVED tells a remarkable story in a remarkable way." Horn Book Magazine called THE UNRESOLVED, "A decidedly unconventional ghost story ... (and) a tightly wound novel." Kirkus Reviews termed it, "A remarkable account." Romantic Times said, "THE UNRESOLVED is a book you shouldn't pass up." The Edge of the Forest said, "It may be the most beautifully written novel I've read this year." All About the Book said, "THE UNRESOLVED is a great one. Mallory is the most well-developed ghostly character I've seen in a long, long time." Midwest Book Review called THE UNRESOLVED, "a wonderfully different kind of ghost story." And Bookslut.com said, "THE UNRESOLVED scores on several levels, most notably as a drama that blows apart all preconceived notions of how history can be retold."

Inspired by the tragic events of 9/11, THE UNRESOLVED reaches back into history to explore what was, until recently, the greatest disaster in New York City history. Based on the sinking of the General Slocum steamship -- which caught fire in the East River, New York, in 1904, resulting in the death of over 1,000 mostly German immigrants on a church outing -- THE UNRESOLVED is at once a ghost story, a courtroom drama, an examination of immigrant life, and a tale of love, redemption and revenge. The novel dramatizes how a single life -- and death -- can have a powerful influence on history.